Merlin McGonagall
by Fred Weasley's Girlfriend
Summary: A prophecy is proclaimed: A boy will join Harry Potter to defeat Voldemort. Voldemort does not like this..Please Read and Review!
1. Default Chapter Title

Atn: This is my first fic, and I like this Prologue. I hope that you will like it as well. More coming up soon as fast as I can post this.   
  


**Merlin McGonagall**  
_Prologue_  


  
"She has done it, my Lord," a squeaky voice trembled nervously. "It's too bad to be true."  
"WHAT," the Dark Lord snarled, his fists banging the table. "It canNOT be possible, I SWORE it would never happen!" At this point the Dark Lord was flinging spit everywhere, including on the man with the squeaky voice, Wormtail.  
"I'm afraid t-that she has had a child, m-my L-lord," Wormtail stuttered, beads of sweat pouring down his face.  
"Then the prophecy has been fulfilled," the Dark Lord (aka Voldemort) sighed. "On the night of the full moon, the Green Lighting and the Blue Star will team up to defeat the Red Snake."  
"Well, I guess that's not good, is it?" Wormtail said stupidly.  
"It is obvious that it isn't good," Voldemort snapped. "You know I do not want to be defeated. Fortunately, I've got a suspicion of who the two 'conquerors' will be. They are the two most powerful children born in the wizarding world this year. One of them just happens to be Potter's child…"  
  
On Thornberry Lane, Minerva McGonagall was gazing fondly at her little baby, Merlin. "He is so innocent," Minerva thought, sighing. Merlin McGonagall was a healthy baby boy, with startling blue eyes. Minerva absolutely loved her son, who looked like her husband Jeremy, and so she swore she'd never leave him. Only later did she realize that promise would fall apart.  
  
In Godric's Hollow, Lily Potter held her small 2-month old son Harry. "He is so innocent," Lily thought, sighing. Married to a wonderful man named James Potter, Lily had the happiest of lives. Lily knew that she'd never leave her family. 10 months later would prove her wrong, unfortunately.  
  
When Merlin was 10 months old and Harry one year, Voldemort attacked the Potter household, hoping to kill the Potter generation before they had more children to defeat him. The attack left James and Lilt dead, and Harry all alone in the house. Minerva McGongall was afraid for her son's life, since Voldemort could come any second. Minerva thought she should hide Merlin, somewhere that Voldemort would never find. She decided upon her wizard cousin Nennol Terger and his wife Eve's house. They were of the decent sort, keeping mostly to themselves. Minerva hoped that they wouldn't mistreat her dear son. Apparating to the Tergers' house, she knocked on the door and waited, holding Merlin tightly in her arms. She could not believe she was doing this. Tears were forming in her eyes, but she made them disappear. It would not look good to her cousin if she appeared at his doorstep frazzled. The door opened to reveal a man with black hair and brown eyes standing sleepily, rubbing his nose.  
"Hello Nennol," Minerva said simply, her face completely unemotional.  
"Minerva," Nennol smiled good naturally. "I was just having my afternoon nap. Rest actually, since I'm so tired. Anyway, what brings you to my house?"  
"A favor," Minerva managed to say, keeping the lump in her throat from forming. "You-know-who has murdered James and Lily Potter, and is on the rise. I need you to protect Merlin, my son, as he grows up. It is really too dangerous to have him live at my place any longer."  
"Of course I'll do that," Nennol nodded, his face melancholy. "I'm always obliged to help."  
"Thank you, Nennol," Minerva replied, allowing a tiny smile to peek through the worry on her face. "I know you can keep good care of him." Before she handed Merlin over to Nennol, she gave him a kiss on the forehead, nearly choking on tears. Then Merlin was safely in Nennol's arms, so she Disapparated away from her cousin's house before Nennol could see the tears running down her cheeks.  
  
  
Author's Note: So....how did you like it? Please use constructive critisism! I really want to improve my fics so that they will be better to read and understand! Please review! Thanks!  
~*~Fred Weasley's Girlfriend~*~


	2. Default Chapter Title

Merlin McGonagall  
Part Two  
  
10 years passed, and Merlin grew up happily in Nennol and Eve Terger's house. They never did have children, so Merlin was the only child in the house. Merlin knew that Nennol and Eve were a wizard and a witch, and was used to magic being used daily. Merlin's birthday was getting closer and closer, and he was excited. Time could not pass quickly enough for him, it seemed.   
  
Opening his eyes, Merlin sleepily gazed at the ceiling. Then he realized with a jolt that it was his birthday. Jumping out of bed, he quickly put on some Muggle clothing, brushed his black hair that seemed to be all over the place, and walked out of his room joyfully. Nennol and Eve were at the kitchen table, already dressed as well, sipping tea from blue mugs.   
  
"Hello Merlin," Eve said gently. "Happy Birthday, dear." Merlin grinned and sat down at the table with them.  
  
"Hi Mum," Merlin replied happily. "What's for breakfast?" he added.   
  
"We have pancakes, and some bacon. You can have orange juice if you would like," Eve told him.   
  
"Smashing. I'll get some," Merlin said eagerly, and got up to fetch two pancakes, three pieces of bacon, and a glass of orange juice. Sitting down again, he noticed that his parents looked upset and sad. He wondered what on earth was wrong.  
  
"We have something to tell you," Nennol managed to say.  
  
"What is it Father?" Merlin asked. "Something bad?"  
  
"Yes and no," Nennol said. "First I'll say the good news. We got a letter delivered to us that says you'll be going to Hogwarts this year."  
  
"Hogwarts? The school for wizards and witches?" Merlin wondered.  
  
"That's correct," Eve said. "Nennol, please continue." Nennol heaved a sigh and took a sip of his tea before he ventured to speak.  
  
"I was getting to that," Nennol replied. "Furthermore, I -I mean we- are not your real parents, Merlin. Your mother happens to be Minerva McGonagall. I'm just her cousin." Merlin was in total shock. How could they not be his real parents? He lived with them all his life! All the while he spent in this house he thought that these people were his parents. A surge of anger rushed through him, clenching his stomach. Eve patted him on the arm, trying to comfort him but it did not work.  
  
"I know this comes to you as a total surprise, Merlin, but Minerva had to find somewhere which You-know-who wouldn't come. She suffered a bit of a shock when her husband, or your father, Jeremy was killed by You-Know-Who." Eve explained. Merlin looked puzzled, and wondered why You-know-who was looking for him.  
  
"Was You-know-who killing innocent people?" Merlin asked. Eve nodded, and took a bite of her pancakes.  
  
"He was killing a lot of people," Nennol remarked. "That's why your mother had to hide you. Also, she sensed much power in you."  
  
"Wow, I have a lot of power," Merlin commented. Then his thoughts meandered back to what Nennol had said earlier. "Back to what you said about Hogwarts…"  
  
"Ah yes, Hogwarts," Eve said. "Nennol will be taking you to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies." Merlin smiled weakly. "And of course, we expect absolutely no trouble from you, so be good," Eve added.  
  
"I'll have you know that I was a mischief maker back when I was at school," Nennol grinned. "My parents got quite a few letters from the head of my house."  
  
"Nennol! That certainly is not helping me prove my point," Eve said, frowning at her husband. Nennol just shrugged it off and ate more food.  
  
"So when does the school term start?" Merlin wondered, thinking of what books he would be needing.  
  
"It said in the Hogwarts letter that term starts September 1st. So the sooner we get your school things, the better," Nennol said, grinning. Merlin smiled back, excited to be accepted to a new school.  
  
  
Some days later, Merlin was getting ready to go to Diagon Alley. He had never been there, strangely enough, so this would be a new experience for him. Nennol had told him that they would be arriving in Diagon Alley by Floo Powder. Merlin watched as Nennol took out some powder from a blue jug and move toward the fireplace.   
  
"Here, you go first," Nennol said, handing the powder to him. "I'll be right after you, so you won't have anything to worry about."  
  
"Thanks," Merlin replied, throwing the Floo Powder into the fireplace (it had a fire, brightly burning) and then stepped into the greenish flames. "Diagon Alley," Merlin said loudly, and with a whoosh, he was gone. Merlin was transported to a fireplace in a shop that had people trying on robes of different colors and sizes. He could tell that this was going to be where he got his own robes. After a few moments, Nennol appeared in the fireplace as well.   
  
"Ah yes. Madame Malkin's Robes," Nennol sighed. "We'll ask someone to help us get your robes."  
  
"All right," Merlin said, looking around. A witch soon quickly walked over to the two.  
  
"May I help you with anything?" The witch asked kindly, smiling at Merlin. Merlin felt slightly intimidated, but he smiled back.  
  
"Yes, please," Nennol replied. "I would like some black robes for him, if you don't mind." The witch nodded, and went to get the measuring tape. She returned, and instantly got to work. After 15 minutes or so, Nennol and Merlin came out of Madame Malkin's , having purchased some robes.  
  
"Where do we go to next?" Merlin wondered, gazing at the sights and sounds of Diagon Alley. Nennol looked around, and immediately came upon the next store.  
  
"Flourish and Botts, the old bookstore," Nennol grinned, wiping some hair away from his forehead.  
  
"Wonderful," answered Merlin, as he walked into Flourish and Botts. After a while, they had gotten all the books and supplies that they needed. Then Nennol suggested that they buy a pet for Merlin to have.  
"Owls are really useful," Nennol said, leading Merlin through the streets of Diagon Alley. "They carry your mail to you, and they're awfully nice company."  
  
"Really? When you put it that way…" Merlin stated, smiling. They meandered into Eeylops Owl Emporium, where they were stared at by hundreds of piercing owl eyes. Merlin felt a bit odd, being stared at by owls, but walked around looking at all the owls. He finally found one that was a snowy white owl with spots on its chest. They paid for the owl and left the shop.  
  
"Now to the station. You have to go on the Hogwarts Express," Nennol explained. They walked to the edge of Diagon Alley, until they got to a plain red brick wall. Merlin was skeptical that Nennol even knew how to get to the Hogwarts express. But he watched curiously as Nennol took out a wand (it looked old and battered) and tapped four bricks in a square shape. The four bricks sank inwards to reveal a purple button. Nennol pressed it, and the whole brick wall disappeared. Merlin was intrigued.   
  
"That was amazing," Merlin breathed, as they walked through the entry way. Nennol just smiled.  
  
"It seems like I am the only one who knows about this passage way. Well, my friends know about it too. But this passage way is a handy little thing," Nennol said, stopping in front of a large red express train. Merlin looked around, and noticed people coming through a barrier.  
  
"Is there another entrance way?" Merlin asked, spotting a group of red headed boys walking toward the train.  
  
"Yes, but I rarely take that way," Nennol answered, handing Merlin's suitcase to him. "Here you go, Merlin. Have you got everything?"  
  
"Yeah, I have. My suitcase, my wand, and my owl's cage," Merlin replied, checking everything. His owl hooted as a response.  
  
"Your owl? Is that what you're going to call it?" Nennol asked, glancing towards the train.  
  
"No, of course not. I just don't know what to call-" Merlin began, but was cut off by a sharp piercing whistle. He gathered all of his things nervously.  
  
"Oh, the train," Nennol said. "Well, you'd better be off. Good bye Merlin, remember to send us an owl." Nennol hugged Merlin, with a lump growing in his throat. Merlin is growing up. I can't believe he's going to Hogwarts. Minerva will be happy to see her son after all these years. Merlin pulled away and rushed into the train, with one last glance at Nennol.  
HHH  
Merlin had never been so embarrassed in his life. He had to ask several groups of people where he could sit, but they didn't give him a straight answer. He rushed out of the last compartment he had been in, the evil laughter still echoing in his ears, his face burning red. They weren't very nice. Can't I just sit down? Merlin was really frustrated now, but his anger cooled down when he saw a door labeled "First Years." Sighing in relief, he opened the door and stepped inside. Ahead of him was several compartments. He went into the first compartment, almost timidly, afraid of what would happen. In there seated a blonde hair boy and two big, hulking boys, who were reading comic books and guffawing. The blonde haired boy stared at him, making Merlin feel very uncomfortable. Readjusting his stuff, he tried to strike up conversation.  
  
"Is it all right if I sit here?" Merlin asked. "It seems like it's a first year compartment."  
  
"Well of course it is," the boy sneered. "I don't know if you can sit here or not. This compartment is only for the worthy ones, of pure-blood." The blonde haired boy stared at him with watery eyes.  
  
"Oh, well then," Merlin said, a bit frustrated. "I'll just look somewhere else."  
  
"Goodbye, and good riddance," the boy said coldly. Merlin trudged through the compartment to the next one, which held a couple of girls. They looked at him strangely, so he quickly left. I'm never going to find a place to sit. The next compartment he came to held three boys and one girl. I hope they'll let me sit down.  
  
"May I sit here?" Merlin asked, his nerves being stretched to the outmost limit. "No one else will let me." He added exasperatedly.   
  
"Of course," one boy said. Merlin smiled in relief, and set his things down.  
  
"Sit down," another boy added, grinning. Merlin did sit down after he placed his things (except his owl cage) overhead.   
  
"I'm Neville Longbottom. Who are you?" The third boy asked curiously.   
"I'm Merlin Ter-er, McGonagall," said Merlin hesitantly, almost forgetting that he wasn't the son of Nennol and Eve Terger. The other boys just smiled and nodded.  
  
"I'm Seamus Finnigan," a brown haired boy replied. "I'm half Irish, ya see."  
  
"Yeah, fascinating," Merlin said, smiling.  
  
"And I'm Dean Thomas," the tall boy remarked.  
  
"It's nice to meet you all," Merlin said warmly, glad to meet some nice people for a change. The girl, who was in the cabin with them, looked up at Merlin from her thick book. She only looked at Merlin for a second before she went back to her reading.  
  
"Oh, she's Hermione Granger," Neville said, pointing towards the girl.   
  
"I see," Merlin began, wishing that he had something more intelligent to say. His thoughts were interrupted by the compartment door opening. A short, round, friendly looking witch appeared with a cart of snacks, which seemed to be overflowing.  
  
"Refreshments anyone?" The witch asked, smiling and showing the candy in the cart. "Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, only 5 sickles for a pack!" Merlin wanted to try some of the beans, having never tried them before because Eve only served somewhat healthy meals. He reached into his pocket, pulled some sickles out, and handed them to the witch. The witch smiled and gave him a packet of Bertie Botts' Beans. The witch looked around the compartment to see if there were any more consumers, but there weren't, so she continued on her way. Merlin stared at the beans, which were every color, some speckled, and some striped.   
  
"Would you like to have some?" Merlin asked, offering the bag to Seamus.  
  
"Thanks," Seamus replied, grinning, and took a small handful of the beans. Merlin then held out the bag for Dean and Neville. They took some beans gratefully, and plopped one in their mouths. Merlin was very happy now, munching away at the beans, while surrounded by nice people. He almost had forgotten about Hermione, who was still reading. He stood up and walked over to her, holding the bag of Bertie Botts' Beans.  
  
"Er, Hermione," Merlin said doubtfully. Hermione looked up from her book, and immediately put on a haughty air.  
  
"What is it? I was in the middle of reading about the goblin revolution in 1559, which is very fascinating because they were rebelling against their tyrant king. By the way, I'm Hermione Granger, and I don't believe we've met-" Hermione said this all with a rush. Merlin was overwhelmed with her words, but he overcame that and held the bag out to her.  
  
"Would you like some Bertie Botts' Beans? I'm Merlin McGonagall," Merlin replied confidently. Hermione looked somewhat embarrassed, but covered it up instantly.   
  
"Thank you. I'll just have one; I don't eat very many sweets," Hermione explained, taking a single bean. Merlin just smiled and sat back down. They sat in silence for a bit until Neville suddenly cried out.  
  
"What's wrong?" Dean asked. "Missing something?"  
  
"Yes," Neville answered, in despair. "I've lost my toad, Trevor. Just when I thought things were going terrifically, I find out that Trevor's missing! Gram will never-"  
  
"I'll help you look for him," said Hermione decisively, closing her book with a thud. "He's bond to be here somewhere." Neville smiled weakly, but gratefully, and the two left the compartment in order to find Neville's toad.  
  
"I hope Neville will find Trevor," Seamus said enthusiastically. "It's not a good sign if you lose your pet on the first day." Merlin's owl rattled in its cage, bringing Merlin's attention to it for the first time on the trip.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Dean answered. Merlin lifted his owl's cage and placed it on his lap.  
  
"Hey, nice owl," Seamus grinned. "What's its name?" Merlin looked at the cage and thought hard. He hadn't really thought of a name yet. Merlin raised his head to answer Seamus.  
  
"I don't really know," Merlin replied. "I haven't thought of a name yet."  
  
"You haven't?" Seamus asked incredulously. "Well, maybe I can help you find a name. Er…how about Finnigan?" Seamus laughed, causing the owl to hoot rapidly.   
  
"Finnigan…not a bad idea," Merlin said, grinning. The owl hooted once more, then was still. "That's what I'll call you," Merlin pointed to the owl.  
  
"Here, why don't we try calling him to see if he'll come," Seamus suggested, standing up. Merlin unlocked the cage and Finnigan flew out excitedly.  
  
"Finnigan! Finnigan! Come here," Merlin called, and to his delight, Finnigan landed on his shoulder, hooting softly.  
  
"Blimey, it worked! That's his name then," Seamus grinned. Merlin smiled back and put Finnigan back in his cage. After a while, Hermione and Neville came back in. Dean made no movement, because he had fallen asleep, his head resting on the seat. Merlin noticed that Neville still had no toad, and that Hermione had an amused look on her face.   
  
"No luck? I'm sorry," Merlin said, glancing at Neville, who looked crestfallen.  
  
"I wonder if I'll ever find him," Neville remarked gloomily.  
  
"My search wasn't a complete loss," Hermione said proudly. "I finally got to see Harry Potter, whom I've read about in many books."  
  
"You're joking! Harry Potter?" Seamus asked, his eyes widened. Merlin couldn't believe her good luck. Harry Potter was famous in the wizard world, and everyone knew his name.   
  
"No, I'm not," retorted Hermione. "He was there, you can ask him if you don't believe me." Merlin's eyes were wide, and he was brimming with excitement. I have to get a glance at him.   
  
"I'll be right back. I'm going to sneak a look at Harry Potter," Merlin said, getting up.  
  
"Good luck," Seamus said, waving. Merlin grinned and left the compartment in a hurry. He realized that he was very lucky to make friends on the first day. He went through many compartments until he came to a room that held a red-haired boy, and a black-haired boy with glasses, green eyes, and a scar? It could only be Harry Potter. Merlin tried not to stare.  
  
"Er, hi," Merlin greeted enthusiastically. The red-haired boy looked up and noticed Merlin.  
  
"Hello. Welcome to our wonderful room," the red-haired boy said sarcastically. Merlin chuckled a bit, and then thought that he should introduce himself.  
"I'm Merlin McGonagall. What are your names?" Merlin asked politely, even though he already knew the red haired boy's companion's name.   
  
"Ron Weasley," the boy said.  
  
"Harry Potter," the black-haired boy added, with slightly wide eyes. I don't believe it…Harry Potter looks somewhat like me. Merlin smiled. He noticed that Ron and Harry had some Bertie Botts' Beans too, as well as some delicious looking pastries. Merlin had a feeling that he should leave them alone, as he was an interference.  
  
"I'll go now. I'd better change into my Hogwarts robes. See you later," Merlin said, slowly backing out of the compartment.   
  
"Good bye," Ron said, smiling weakly.  
  
"See you," Harry added. Merlin rushed back into his friends' compartment. He closed the door, breathing hard.  
  
"So, how was it? Was Harry Potter really there?" Seamus asked eagerly. Merlin nodded, still too out of breath to say much. His heart rate slowed down and he could now breathe normally.  
  
"Harry Potter was really there," Merlin said, noticing that all eyes of his friends were looking at him. "He was with a red-headed boy named Ron Weasley. They were okay, for the brief moment I talked to them." Merlin took out his black Hogwarts robes, and sat down next to Dean.  
  
"Good, we have a famous person in our year," grinned Dean. Neville and Seamus had also taken out their robes and was about to put them on until they saw Hermione still in the compartment, reading.  
  
"Er, Hermione…" Seamus began. Hermione snapped her head up, glaring at them.  
  
"Yes?" She said, not noticing that all of the boys in the compartment were looking uncomfortably at her. She slammed her book shut and stood up. "What is it?"  
  
"We were about to change into our school robes, but we can't exactly…" Dean started. Hermione gave an impatient noise and stomped out of the compartment. Merlin felt guilty that they had to make her feel unwanted, but it couldn't be helped. The boys changed into their robes quickly, and then sat down again.  
  
"Should we ask Hermione to come back?" Neville asked. Seamus shook her head.   
  
"She's probably found some company, so she doesn't need us," Seamus said, gathering his stuff. "Listen, we probably should get our luggage together, it's almost time for us to get off the train."  
  
"Right, we should," Dean nodded. The four boys gathered their luggage, and soon after the train came to a complete stop. They left the compartment quickly, and went outside where there were carriages waiting for them.  
HHH  
The carriage carrying the four friends halted in front of a huge lawn, which was articulately trimmed. Dean, Seamus, Neville, and Merlin clambered out of the carriage and got their first glimpse of Hogwarts. Hogwarts was a gigantic castle, with many towers and turrets, and from the looks of it, had over two hundred rooms. Merlin stood stand-still, agape at the size of the castle. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Seamus, Dean, and Neville apparently had the same reaction, because they stood frozen, staring at the castle. Merlin slowly came out of his trance and saw that a large group of students were heading toward a lake by the castle. Not wanting to be left behind, he pulled his friends along as he ran toward the group of students. A large, hairy man was standing there, guiding many people to boats by the lake. Merlin could easily hear what the man was saying.  
  
"Firs' years, over 'ere! Firs' years," the man bellowed. The first years huddled around the giant man nervously, like cold people gathering around a warm fire. The man then told them that they were to get into the boats, four at a time. Merlin carefully stepped into the boat, and sat down with his belongings. He was followed closely by Seamus, Dean, and a blonde haired girl with pigtails. Neville went into another boat with Hermione, Harry, and Ron. The boats glided over the water, the wind blowing into their faces harshly. Merlin's stomach was full of butterflies, fluttering and smashing into the walls of his stomach. What is going to happen to me now? He stared at the Hogwarts castle, watching it get nearer and nearer as the boat moved forward.   
  
"I wonder what Hogwarts is going to be like," remarked Seamus, looking at the water crashing against the outside of the boat. "I hope it's going to be fairly interesting." Merlin turned his head to see his friend become pale, and look nervous.  
  
"So do I. At least, I hope we have the same classes together," replied Merlin, feeling his hands turn cold and clammy. I'm sure that it will be all right. At long last, they got off the boat and trudged up the path to the large iron doors. Their guide (whose name Merlin found out later was Hagrid) knocked on the doors, making an echo that rang through the first years' ears. A tall, black-haired woman in long gray robes answered the door.  
  
  
"Firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid announced, and Merlin's heart gave a leap. Could this be my mother? Merlin was in a state of shock.  
  
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here," she said, opening the doors wider so that the students could walk inside. Hagrid nodded, grinned, and disappeared. Merlin eyed the black-haired woman, or rather his mother, very closely. She had a strict façade, and walked very stiffly, but her eyes seemed to show a bit of warmth. Merlin tried to focus his gaze on other things, such as the many portraits which moved, the furniture, and the ghosts that were flying. But his heart did not seem to be working properly, and he could not tear his eyes away from Professor McGonagall.  
  
"McGonagall? Isn't that your last name?" Seamus whispered curiously. Merlin could only nod stupidly, and stare at his mother. She explained that there were four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. She led them to the Great Hall, where the Sorting Ceremony was just beginning. In front of the hall was a stool, on top of which lay an old, patched hat. A large rip near the brim of the hat opened and sang a song of how it came to be. Then Professor McGonagall had a list of names on a board which she had in her hand, and read the first name.  
  
"Abbot, Hannah!" Professor McGonagall called, and Hannah Abbot walked up to the Sorting Hat, and placed it on her head. There were a few moments of silence before the hat shouted the name of the house Hannah would have.  
  
"Hufflepuff," the hat shouted, and the Hufflepuff table cheered and clapped as Hannah rushed over to them. More people became sorted, and the ceremony continued. It was now Seamus's turn. Walking to the hat with a pale face, Seamus gently put it on his head. Soon after he had sat down on the stool, the hat placed him into Gryffindor.  
  
"…Longbottom, Neville!" Professor McGonagall said loudly and firmly. Neville tripped while walking, but nevertheless he reached the hat and jammed it on his head while sitting on the stool. A minute went by before the hat declared that he was a Gryffindor as well. Merlin's heart raced. It wasn't long until he would be sorted. A couple of people became sorted, and finally, it was Merlin's turn.  
  
"McGonagall, Merlin!" Professor McGonagall announced, but it wasn't as firm and loud as the others' names had been called. In fact, her hands shook slightly, and a wave of shock passed her face, but was gone quickly. Professor McGonagall did not have a chance to see Merlin on the stool because a greasy black-haired man came up to her and started a hasty conversation. Merlin walked up to the stool, his heart pounding so hard he thought it would burst out of his chest. He sat down and gingerly placed the worn hat on his head. Instantly he heard a voice, oddly the hat's voice, in his mind.   
  
"Ah, very interesting indeed. The son of McGonagall…I remember when she was here…she was nervous. But back to the present. Let's see, brave, oh very brave, and loyal. Got a sense of humor, haven't you? You are a bit sly, and cunning…you could be in Slytherin, you know," the hat whispered in his ear. Merlin heard all that the hat was saying to him, and decided to ask the hat something. What house was my mother in? "Ooh, Gryffindor, the hat answered. You wouldn't fit in Slytherin, actually, better put you in GRYFFINDOR!" The last part of the hat's sentence was said aloud, and the Gryffindor table cheered. Merlin took the hat off his head shakily and wobbled over to the Gryffindor table. Sitting down next to Seamus, Merlin breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"We're in the same house! Smashing," Seamus said, grinning as he gave Merlin a high five. Merlin was just glad that nerve-wrecking process was over. Eventually, Harry Potter, Dean Thomas, and Ron Weasley were also put into Gryffindor. After the Sorting Ceremony was over, the Headmaster Dumbledore gave a welcome speech. Following his speech was a giant feast, which Merlin enjoyed greatly. Late into the night, when the feast was long over, Merlin followed Seamus, Dean, and Neville to the Gryffindor tower. Merlin tried to memorize how to get to the tower in case he needed to find his way back after classes, but his eyes were so glazed over with drowsiness that he failed to remember anything. A red-haired prefect told the password "Sky fairy" to a giant lady, donning a pink dress, in a portrait, and then the Gryffindors went in to the common room. Merlin didn't stop to chat with Seamus and the others, but went immediately to bed, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.  
  
  
Merlin's eyes popped open. He turned his head to the window and noticed that it was not quite light out, which was perfect for him. He leapt out of bed and quickly got dressed, brushing his hair and teeth. He grabbed his bag, stuffed with his books, ink, and quill, and walked down to the common room. The amusing thing was that absolutely no one was there already, because all of them were still asleep. Merlin looked at his watch: 6:15 am. I guess I got carried away. All of a sudden, Merlin had the urge to do something wild. He knew what he could do.  
  
"GOOD MORNING!" Merlin yelled at the top of his lungs. A few seconds later, he heard annoyed grunts and inquisitive remarks of "Who was that?" and "It's Fred and George again." The door to the girls' dormitory opened, and a messy haired girl poked her head out. Merlin acted quickly and ducked behind the couch before the girl could see him. The girl went back upstairs, closing the door behind her. Merlin chuckled softly. I really shouldn't have done that. Merlin stayed behind the couch when several boys came out and looked around, only to see nothing. When it was 6:30, Merlin came out from behind the couch and decided to go down to the Great Hall.   
  



	3. Default Chapter Title

A/N: Sorry, the second part was too long, so I had to split it up. By the way, I'm going to have a disclaimer, since I didn't have it before. It took a long time to write this, mainly because when homework and writer's block combine, it is not a pretty sight. Please read and review! Any ideas whatsoever would be very helpful! ::Wink Wink:: Anyway, enough of that! On to the good stuff!  
  
Disclaimer: Everything and everyone belong to JK Rowling, except for Professor Luxor, the Aetherian Mages, and Merlin, which belong to me. No one can take them or use them in a harmful way. Now, on to the story!  
  
  
Merlin McGonagall Part 2(b)  
  
Closing the Fat Lady's Portrait, Merlin walked down the hallways with his bag, smelling the damp air of the castle. While he was walking, he noticed that some of the armor turned their heads to look at him. Feeling uncomfortable, Merlin hurried past them. Before long, Merlin had lost his way. The passageways and the portraits were unfamiliar to him, so Merlin had no idea of where to go. Glancing around him everywhere, Merlin walked quickly, trying to find something familiar to him. He turned his head to look straight ahead of him, only to find himself staring into the blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore.  
  
"Lost, young lad?" Dumbledore asked, his mouth slightly twisted to form a smile.  
  
"Yeah…Oh, and I'm Merlin," Merlin answered, feeling that he should present his name to the headmaster. "McGonagall," he added thoughtfully. Dumbledore raised his eyebrow curiously.  
  
"You are up very early," Dumbledore said. "Up for a morning walk, I suppose?" Merlin nodded.  
  
"Just a morning person, I think," Merlin answered. He was starting to hyperventilate. "Sir, can you tell me the way to the Great Hall?" Dumbledore smiled, and gladly obliged to tell him the way. Merlin thanked him and raced down the corridor behind Dumbledore's retreating back. He arrived at the Great Hall after a few minutes. There was no one there, because it was only 6:40 am, so he sat at a table which he assumed was the Gryffindor table. In the minutes he sat there, doing nothing, Merlin thought about why he had come here at all. I should have just stayed in the common room. Merlin was furious with himself for not having thought that before, and because he had nothing better to do, he took out his Transfiguration book. Flipping the pages to the very back of the book, Merlin's eyes fell upon the title Changing a shoe into a turtle. He stared at the text below it curiously, and began to read. He learned all about how to concentrate on the shoe, and imagine the shoe turning into a turtle by saying, 'Metus.' How very uninteresting. Merlin put the book away and pulled out another one: 1001 Uses of Plants and Fungi. He opened the gigantic book and started to read. By 7:35 am, he was done with the entire book, having acquired some information that he was not sure he even wanted to know. Luckily, by this point people had started to file into the Great Hall. Glancing at a few people who were coming in, Merlin noticed that they were teachers. One of them just happened to be his mother. Professor McGonagall was walking around the Great Hall, surveying the area for any messes or trash that might have been left behind. Merlin's stomach lurched. Sitting at the Gryffindor table, he was not very far from his mother, who was peering under the table. She stood up quickly, and turned her head, so that her stern glance fell upon him. Merlin tried to look away, as he was so nervous, but he couldn't. Professor McGonagall's eyebrow went up slightly, and she continued to walk in Merlin's direction. Merlin could hardly breathe. For the first time in his life, he was going to meet his real mother. Apparently, she didn't really seem to recognize him, for her gaze was the same as it would have been for any other student.  
  
"Why are you up so early? Breakfast doesn't start for another twenty-five minutes," Professor McGonagall said, frowning slightly. Merlin opened his mouth, but his voice didn't seem to be able to work. All he could make was a strange sound. Professor McGonagall looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. Finally Merlin swallowed and tried to speak.  
  
"I like to get up early. I feel more alive in the mornings," Merlin was able to croak. Professor McGonagall nodded.  
  
"I understand. It is refreshing to wake up early in the mornings," Professor McGonagall said, looking at Merlin more intently. "You're a first year, am I correct?"  
  
"Yes, I am," Merlin said politely. He still was in shock that he could actually be related to this woman, even though they looked alike, with the same black hair.  
  
"What is your name, then? I do believe that you will be in my Transfiguration class," Professor McGonagall remarked, her glasses falling slightly down her nose.  
  
"Merlin…" Merlin started, then remembered to tack on his mother's name, as he was not a Terger. "McGonagall," he added, his voice sounding raspy. Professor McGonagall's eyes widened, and her hand reached out as if to touch Merlin's shoulder, but she withdrew it slowly.  
  
"You are Merlin? My Merlin? It is too impossible," Professor McGonagall said quietly, her eyes widened in disbelief. "I suppose Nennol told you I was your mother," she added matter-of-factly.   
  
"He did tell me that," Merlin said. "It was a bit of a shock when I found out that Eve and Nennol weren't my parents," he remarked grimly.  
  
"I was afraid of that," Professor McGonagall said sourly. (Let's call her Minerva now, shall we?) "But, however, I am glad to see you again. It has been too long," she commented, her face showing utmost sadness.  
  
"Yeah," Merlin mumbled, and his eyes filled with tears. I can't cry in front of my mother, she'll think I'm weak. He brushed the tears out of his eyes, but could not resist giving Minerva a hug. Minerva looked extremely uncomfortable, but that was only because she had rarely shown any form of emotion. She put her arms around him awkwardly, causing Merlin to sniffle and hug her even more tightly. When they finally let go, Minerva had a sad smile on her face. Unfortunately, their touching moment was interrupted by the opening of the Hogwarts castle doors. Both of them turned to the doorway to see a tall, dark-haired stranger. (Cliché, eh?) Minerva's brow furrowed in thought, and then an idea struck her.  
  
"Welcome, sir! I assume that you are the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher?" Minerva asked, walking over to the stranger quickly.  
  
"Yes, Madame. I am Thomas Luxor. I apologize for getting here late, but there was some business that I had to take care of," The man said. Minerva nodded.  
  
"Of course, Mr. Luxor. I understand completely. Your classes begin today, so I assume that you are ready for them," Minerva said, glaring at him, as if she believed otherwise.  
  
"I am ready for them, indeed," Luxor replied, bowing slightly. "Thank you for telling me, Professor-?"  
  
"McGonagall," Minerva said firmly. "I teach Transfiguration." Merlin could see that his mother was extremely tense. Perhaps she was always that way, but Merlin did not know. Luxor merely smiled and removed his black cloak, and held it in his hands.  
  
"Professor McGonagall, I am pleased to make your acquaintance," Luxor said, walking a bit more into the Great Hall. "Could you possibly show me the way to the Headmaster's office?" Minerva nodded, her face still set in a grave position.  
  
"Yes, certainly. Follow me," Minerva replied, casting one glance at Merlin before she walked in the direction of Professor Dumbledore's office. Luxor followed, holding his head high in the air, as if he was a king of some sort. Merlin watched their retreating backs as they ambled out of the Great Hall. Soon after Luxor and Minerva had gone, Merlin was accompanied by two red-haired boys, both smiling identical evil grins. Merlin turned his head slightly and listened to their conversation.  
  
"--The bathroom will stink for weeks!" One boy exclaimed, sitting down at the Gryffindor table. The other red-haired boy followed him, and sat down as well.  
  
"And imagine all the faces of the poor saps who go into the bathroom. They'll be horrified to see the mess," the other boy said, grinning.   
  
"I'm sure Filch will blow a gasket," the first boy remarked, shaking his head.   
  
"Excellent," the boys chorused. Merlin snickered in spite of himself. The boys turned to stare curiously at Merlin, who flushed and looked away.   
  
"You were listening, then?" the first boy asked. "You'd better not go into the bathroom on the second floor if you want to smell clean."  
  
"All right. Thanks for the advice," Merlin replied, turning back to look at them.  
  
"Glad to give it to you. After all we're the ones that dirtied the place. George Weasley," the second boy said.   
  
"Fred Weasley, brother to George, and some people I'd rather not mention," Fred added. Then Fred gave a loud false cough that sounded somewhat like "Percy!" Merlin realized he'd better give his name.  
  
"Merlin McGonagall," he said, and as he did the Weasley twins' eyes grew wide.   
  
"You're related to our Transfiguration teacher?" Fred asked in shock. "Eurgh…"  
  
"Never thought she'd actually have a child," George muttered, and then, seeing Merlin's disapproving glare, he shut his mouth quickly.  
  
"Sorry, Merlin," Fred apologized hastily. "But we never knew that McGonagall had a son. It just seems rather unlikely." At this, George released a small chuckle.  
  
"It's all right," Merlin replied, still hurt from their remarks. But he knew that they meant no harm. More people were filing into the Great Hall, including Seamus, Dean, Lavender and Parvati (two more Gryffindors). The Weasley twins' attention was diverted when their best friend, Lee Jordan sat down next to them, beginning a fast and furious conversation. Seamus pulled out the chair next to Merlin and plopped onto it. Dean sat down next to him, his face weary.  
  
"Hello, Merlin," Seamus hailed enthusiastically. Merlin grinned, happy to see his friend.   
  
"Hello, Seamus," Merlin replied, putting his books back in his bag and placing it on the floor. "Are you tired at all?" Merlin lifted his gaze from his bag onto Seamus. Seamus thought for a moment, yawning as a response.  
  
"I guess I am," Seamus answered, resting his head on his hand. Merlin laughed shortly, and then the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, silenced the Great Hall by raising his hands. Chattering slowly died down, and heads turned towards the aging man with a long, flowing beard.   
  
"Good morning everyone. I hope you have had a pleasant sleep," Dumbledore said, smiling at all the faces in the Hall. "Classes begin today, so you will get your schedules. Now, without further ado, let's eat!" Everyone cheered and the platters began to fill with food. Merlin and Seamus looked at the platters hungrily, quickly serving themselves to the deliciously smelling food. Merlin seriously hoped that they would have this kind of food every day.   
  
"Here's the schedules," a red-haired Prefect (who was, as Merlin later found out, Percy Weasley) said in a bossy voice. The Gryffindors eyed their schedules. Seamus immediately groaned. Merlin turned to look at him.  
  
"What's wrong?" Merlin asked, peering at his schedule once more.  
  
"We have Potions with the Slytherins," Seamus said exasperatedly. "I heard that they were cruel."  
  
"Oh, no," Merlin answered. "I guess we'll have to suffer, then. How wonderful," he added sarcastically. Seamus took a bite of his pancake, still looking at the piece of paper in his hand.  
  
"It's just one class we have with the Slytherins. The rest are either by ourselves or with the Ravenclaws, the Hufflepuffs or something," Seamus commented, taking a sip of his milk. Merlin nodded and carefully placed the schedule in his pocket. They resumed eating contently, chatting lightly. Merlin was looking at the staff table, glancing at Minerva and the Defense of the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Luxor was talking to Minerva, and every so often he would look around the room, his eyes glaring fiercely. Merlin continued to look at them talking until Professor Luxor looked straight at him. Merlin felt an extreme amount of pain form in his right hand. It was so painful that Merlin had to try with all his might not to scream. He looked down at his right hand and gasped. There, sparkling brightly, catching the morning sunlight, was a five-pointed star. Trying to ignore the pain, Merlin looked up to see Professor Luxor, not staring at him, but slightly wincing at he stared straight forward. But, Merlin noticed, he seemed to be have yellow sparkles around his head, in the form of a crown. People did not pay that much attention to Professor Luxor because they were all staring at Merlin. Why are they staring at me? What did I do? Merlin looked around desperately for an answer. Seamus was also staring at him peculiarly.  
  
"What is it? What's wrong, Seamus?" Merlin asked. "Everyone's staring at me."  
  
"No reason why they shouldn't," Seamus replied. "You're wearing all white robes." Merlin saw that this was true, and a beam of white light was coming from the star on his right hand. Merlin was now petrified, and willed the beam of light to stop shining. It did, miraculously, but it only caused Merlin to go into more panic. So he did what any brave boy would do. He ran.  
  
Merlin ran so quickly that the pictures on the walls seemed to be a blur. He was breathing in and out with short gasps, and his lungs felt like they would burst at any second. Merlin stopped running and slumped down to a sitting position. What had happened? Why am I wearing white robes? Merlin contemplated the odd turn of events that had just happened. He was looking around…then he stared at Luxor…and he felt pain and saw the star on his right hand…which caused him to wear the white robes. Luxor must have triggered a weird signal in him. I'd better be very cautious around Luxor from now on. Then an immediate problem struck his mind: What would everyone think of him? It wasn't every day that people changed clothing without warning and shone light from their hands. Merlin thought of Seamus, Dean, and Neville and sighed. They are probably going to think I'm strange. Just then Merlin heard footsteps thundering. He looked up and saw a crowd of people form around him. Fred and George were the closest to him.  
  
"How'd you do that? That was brilliant," George said in awe. Fred gaped at him.  
  
"Yeah, brilliant. I would love to have smashing robes like those," Fred added, grinning a little. Merlin could not return the smile, because he was scared out of his mind. What if I have weird powers that will eventually destroy me? Oh…no, that couldn't happen. Merlin then saw Seamus, who was staring at him in disbelief.  
  
"Merlin, how…?" Seamus trailed off, looking at him intensely. "Are you all right? You look like you've just seen a ghost…which you probably have," he added, amused. Merlin shook his head and slowly got to his feet.   
  
"I guess I'm all right, but I don't know what happened," Merlin said shakily. "Something strange, which I don't have a clue about." He was about to say more when he saw Harry Potter and Ron Weasley emerge from the crowd.  
  
"Blimey, that was amazing! The way you shone that beam of light from your hand-" Ron said admiringly, but was cut off when he saw Merlin's pale face. "Dreadfully odd, really," he added. Harry Potter looked at him curiously, wondering what happened. Merlin was rather uncomfortable having so many people stare at him at the same time.  
  
"Move aside! Let me through," a new voice said sharply, and after a moment Merlin saw Minerva McGonagall walk through the space between Harry and Ron. Then she gazed at Merlin.  
  
"Er, hello," Merlin croaked, calming down slightly. "I was just here, I didn't do it on purpose-"  
  
"I know you didn't," Minerva cut in. "Do you have any knowledge at all as to what you did was?" Minerva stepped closer to Merlin and adjusted her robes slightly.  
  
"No, I don't," Merlin began. "All I do know is that…" Merlin said, making the crowd move closer. "When I looked at Professor Luxor, my hand hurt and there was a star on it that was shining-"  
  
"All of you! Go back to the Great Hall," Minerva interrupted, waving her arms impatiently. "This matter will be decided without a public audience," she added firmly. The people that were around them slowly backed away, including, to Merlin's disappointment, Seamus and Dean.  
"See you," Fred and George said, casting equally evil grins in Merlin's direction, but stopped when they saw Minerva's stern glance. Merlin just gave a small wave and smiled weakly.  
  
"Now, Merlin," Minerva said, making Merlin turn back to look at her. "What you did was very peculiar indeed, and it confirms my beliefs about you having a great amount of power."  
  
"It does? But why?" Merlin asked, curiously gazing at Minerva.  
  
"The star that you said was on your hand, and your white robes, indicate that you are a newly found member of the Aetherian Mages. I don't know any other information really," Minerva said matter-of-factly.  
  
"So, the Aetherian Mages are powerful? How many of them exist?" Merlin wondered, surprised.  
  
"The Aetherian Mages are very powerful, and there aren't that many of them," Minerva replied. "I believe there are at least twenty-five of them in this country. Come on, we'd better go to Dumbledore. Classes are about to start," she added, giving his back a little push. Merlin started walking, following Minerva, and processed the new information into his brain. If it was true that he was an Aetherian Mage, where did they meet? Did they know about him? What did they do? Merlin realized he had much to learn before he could truly understand what he was… and what he was destined to do.  
  



End file.
